


Dishwashing

by irena_adler



Series: Watson [55]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-22 23:31:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6097498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irena_adler/pseuds/irena_adler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colby and Charlie share a domestic task.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dishwashing

**Title:** Dishwashing **  
Characters:** Colby/Charlie

 **  
Rating:** R, FRMA **  
Summary:**   Colby and Charlie share a domestic task. **  
Disclaimer:** Not my characters, not my world, making no money. **  
Feedback:** Yes, please! Feed the author!  
 **A/N:** This was written for the [Numb3rs New Year Challenge](http://community.livejournal.com/numb3rs_newyear/), and just now "released."

**Dishwashing—** ****

“We should get a new dishwasher,” Charlie said, handing Colby a wet plate.

Colby smiled and took the plate.How easily Charlie said ‘we’ now.Colby had only lived with Charlie in his house for three months, but Charlie was finally getting used to it.Charlie was not a man who liked change, rather he fought change like a cat fought taking a bath.As someone who used most of his brain thinking about rather abstract things, Charlie liked the physical world around him to remain the same.Colby was quite happy to have become part of Charlie’s anchor.

“A new dishwasher would be good,” Colby said, drying the plate.“Considering this one is probably almost as old as you are and can’t handle the slightest mess.But I’m not sure that the plumbing on your house could handle a new one.”

Charlie nodded and returned to washing a plate.Colby leaned against the counter and waited as Charlie wiped the sponge over and over the same spots.Colby often did the washing because Charlie could take forever over one dish, as his mind wandered off along its mysterious paths.Colby didn’t mind most of the time.There was something completely relaxing about sharing such a domestic task with his lover, so removed from the stress and constant urgency of his job.Later, they’d watch a movie or Charlie would scribble in his notebook while Colby watched a basketball game.Colby couldn’t remember when he had been so content.

Colby let his eyes rest on Charlie.His face was flushed from the steaming dishwater and his curls were plastered to his forehead and cheeks.His _pi_ T-shirt was wet and sticking to his stomach.Colby suddenly remembered that Alan had gone out for the evening, leaving them alone in the house.He grinned.

“It’s _our_ house,” Charlie said suddenly.

“What was that?”

“You said, ‘the plumbing on your house’ but it’s our house.”

“No, it’s not,” Colby said gently, setting down his towel. 

“But—“

“Just like to you it will always be your family’s house, your parent’s house, even if you do own it.”

Charlie frowned down at the sink, letting the plate slip from his fingers into the water.

Colby stepped behind him and slid his arms around Charlie’s stomach.“But I’m finding myself quite liking being a kept man.”

Charlie jerked his head around to look at him.“You’re _not_!You live here with me!”

“But I don’t pay any rent,” Colby reminded him.“And you only occasionally let me pay for dinner or groceries.”

“But you …” Charlie pulled his hands out of the suds and turned fully around in Colby’s embrace.“I didn’t know that you felt like that.”

“Felt like what?” Colby asked.

“Well,” Charlie grimaced, “ _kept_.”

Colby smiled and pushed the curls away from Charlie’s face.“I don’t really, I was just teasing you.I really wouldn’t be able to pay rent here and still keep up all my other obligations.With the unbreakable lease on my old apartment and helping pay for Jenny’s new place and Nena seems to constantly need new clothes or stuff.Once I finish paying off the lease and Jenny gets a job, I’ll want to carry more of my weight around here, but for now I’m just appreciating snagging a rich college professor.”

A smile lurked around Charlie’s mouth.“I don’t think I’ve ever heard the words ‘rich’ and ‘college professor’ put together.”

“Well, how often have you heard ‘sexy’ and ‘genius’ put together?”

The smile broke out on Charlie’s face.“A lot more often these days.”

Colby reached behind Charlie and snagged some suds.He dabbed bubbles on Charlie’s nose.

Charlie laughed and wiped his sudsy hands on Colby’s shirt.“Did I ever tell you how I helped catch a fugitive using isoperimetric soap bubble geometry?”

“I was there,” Colby said.

“Oh, right,” Charlie said.“I’d forgotten.”

“I see,” Colby said. “Didn’t even notice I was around.”

“Well …”

“Eyes only for that sniper?”Colby kept his tone light but couldn’t help a surge of jealousy.

“Oh, uh, no, I just …”

“Didn’t notice me back then.”

Charlie shook his head.“I was very busy … not noticing anyone.”

Colby blew out a breath.“Yeah, I know how that feels.”He wiped the bubbles from Charlie’s nose.“I was never able to not notice you, though.”

“Oh?” Charlie smiled.

“You like that, don’t you?” Colby said, smiling again.“Knowing my attention was fixed on you from the day I met you?At first it was sort of … a perverse fascination, but it quickly grew into desire.David helped me recognize that.”

“We have a lot to thank David for,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, the bastard,” Colby grinned.“I’ll never forgive him for having you first.”

“Or you.”

“But where is he now?” Colby said, his grin turning wicked.“Somewhere alone or with a one night stand, and you and I are here together.”

“In _our_ kitchen.”

“Doing _our_ dishes.”

Charlie chuckled and pulled Colby closer.“Maybe we should get back to that.”

“Oh, definitely,” Colby said, pushing Charlie against the sink.“Should definitely get back to that.”He swooped down and pressed his lips to Charlie’s long neck.Charlie leaned his head back and Colby sucked his way up the sensitive skin to the spot behind Charlie’s left ear.

Colby lifted his head and smiled down at Charlie.“If I promise to call it ‘our kitchen,’ can I fuck you in it?”

“You can call it the Ninth Circle of Hell, if you want,” Charlie said and yanked Colby’s lips down to meet his.

 


End file.
